Every football pitch should have emergency care equipment on hand to help treat any players that suffer the same condition as former footballer Fabrice Muamba, experts have said.

The ex-Bolton Wanderers midfielder collapsed following a cardiac arrest during an FA Cup match in March last year.

Researchers said that officials at games around the world should adopt a universal standard of emergency medical care, set out by the world's football governing body Fifa, to curb the potential for serious injuries and deaths.

Fabrice Muamba and wife Shauna have revealed they are expecting their second child, less than a year after the former footballer almost died on the pitch.

The couple, who married in October, already have a four-year-old son, Joshua, and are due to become parents again in June.

ShaunaMuamba wrote on Twitter: "Thanks for all the lovely well wishes @fmuambaand I are so happy. We've been so blessed and can't wait to meet our newbaby."

Fabrice Muamba and his wife Shauna are expecting their second child. Credit: Press Association

Muamba, a former England Under-21 international, was playing for Bolton in an FA Cup quarter-final against Tottenham in March when he suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed.

The midfielder's heart stopped beating for 78 minutes but because of the prompt treatment he received on the pitch he defied the odds to survive and make an incredible recovery.

Muamba had hoped to resume his football career but was advised against it by doctors and retired from the sport in August.

In October he launched the Hearts & Goals campaign, which is aiming to increase the number of defibrillators available in public places and provide CPR training to try to reduce the 100,000 people who die of sudden cardiac arrest every year in the UK.

Muamba has also published a best-selling autobiography, I'm Still Standing, and is part of ITV's coverage of the African Nations Cup.

Muamba, who lived in DR Congo until the age of 11, describes watching his country play against Africa's big-boys, and explains why too much homework could have scuppered his chances of becoming a professional footballer. Watch the interview in full from ITV Sport.